首页
The Story of a Bad Boy
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第3章
21685字

Therewasalulljustthenintheice—creambusiness,itbeingdinner—time,andwefoundthesaloonunoccupied。Whenwehadseatedourselvesaroundthelargestmarble—toppedtable,CharleyMardeninamanlyvoiceorderedtwelvesixpennyicecreams,"strawberryandvernellermixed。"

Itwasamagnificentsight,thosetwelvechillyglassesenteringtheroomonawaiter,theredandwhitecustardrisingfromeachglasslikeachurch—steeple,andthespoon—handleshootingupfromtheapexlikeaspire。Idoubtifapersonofthenicestpalatecouldhavedistinguished,withhiseyesshut,whichwasthevanillaandwhichthestrawberry;butifIcouldatthismomentobtainacreamtastingasthatdid,Iwouldgivefivedollarsforaverysmallquantity。

Wefelltowithawill,andsoevenlybalancedwereourcapabilitiesthatwefinishedourcreamstogether,thespoonsclinkingintheglasseslikeonespoon。

"Let’shavesomemore!"criedCharleyMarden,withtheairofAladdinorderingupafreshhogsheadofpearlsandrubies。"TomBailey,tellPettingiltosendinanotherround。"

CouldIcreditmyears?Ilookedathimtoseeifhewereinearnest。Hemeantit。InamomentmoreIwasleaningoverthecountergivingdirectionsforasecondsupply。ThinkingitwouldmakenodifferencetosuchagorgeousyoungsybariteasMarden,Itookthelibertyoforderingninepennycreamsthistime。

Onreturningtothesaloon,whatwasmyhorroratfindingitempty!

Therewerethetwelvecloudyglasses,standinginacircleonthestickymarbleslab,andnotaboytobeseen。Apairofhandslettinggotheirholdonthewindow—silloutsideexplainedmatters。Ihadbeenmadeavictim。

Icouldn’tstayandfacePettingil,whosepepperytemperwaswellknownamongtheboys。Ihadn’tacentintheworldtoappeasehim。WhatshouldI

do?Iheardtheclinkofapproachingglasses—theninepennycreams。Irushedtothenearestwindow。Itwasonlyfivefeettotheground。IthrewmyselfoutasifIhadbeenanoldhat。

Landingonmyfeet,IfledbreathlesslydownHighStreet,throughWillow,andwasturningintoBrierwoodPlacewhenthesoundofseveralvoices,callingtomeindistress,stoppedmyprogress。

"Lookout,youfool!Themine!Themine!"yelledthewarningvoices。

Severalmenandboyswerestandingattheheadofthestreet,makinginsanegesturestometoavoidsomething。ButIsawnomine,onlyinthemiddleoftheroadinfrontofmewasacommonflour—barrel,which,asIgazedatit,suddenlyroseintotheairwithaterrificexplosion。Ifeltmyselfthrownviolentlyoffmyfeet。Iremembernothingelse,exceptingthat,asIwentup,IcaughtamomentaryglimpseofEzraWingateleeringthroughisshopwindowlikeanavengingspirit。

Theminethathadwroughtmewoewasnotproperlyamineatall,butmerelyafewouncesofpowderplacedunderanemptykegorbarrelandfiredwithaslow—match。Boyswhodidn’thappentohavepistolsorcannongenerallyburnttheirpowderinthisfashion。

ForanaccountofwhatfollowedIamindebtedtohearsay,forIwasinsensiblewhenthepeoplepickedmeupandcarriedmehomeonashutterborrowedfromtheproprietorofPettingil’ssaloon。Iwassupposedtobekilled,buthappily(happilyformeatleast)Iwasmerelystunned。Ilayinasemi—unconsciousstateuntileighto’clockthatnight,whenI

attemptedtospeak。MissAbigail,whowatchedbythebedside,puthereardowntomylipsandwassalutedwiththeseremarkablewords:"Strawberryandvernellermixed!"

"Mercyonus!Whatistheboysaying?"criedMissAbigail。

"ROOTBEERSOLDHERE!"

1Thisinscriptioniscopiedfromatriangular—shapedpieceofslate,stillpreservedinthegarretoftheNutterHouse,togetherwiththepistolbuttitself,whichwassubsequentlydugupforapostmortemexamination。

ChapterNineIBecomeanR。M。C。

InthecourseoftendaysIrecoveredsufficientlyfrommyinjuriestoattendschool,where,foralittlewhile,Iwaslookeduponasahero,onaccountofhavingbeenblownup。Whatdon’twemakeaheroof?ThedistractionwhichprevailedintheclassestheweekprecedingtheFourthbadsubsided,andnothingremainedtoindicatetherecentfestivities,exceptinganoticeablewantofeyebrowsonthepartofPepperWhitcombandmyself。

InAugustwehadtwoweeks’vacation。ItwasaboutthistimethatIbecameamemberoftheRivermouthCentipedes,asecretsocietycomposedoftwelveoftheTempleGrammarSchoolboys。ThiswasanhonortowhichIhadlongaspired,but,beinganewboy,Iwasnotadmittedtothefraternityuntilmycharacterhadfullydevelopeditself。

Itwasaveryselectsociety,theobjectofwhichIneverfathomed,thoughI

wasanactivememberofthebodyduringtheremainderofmyresidenceatRivermouth,andatonetimeheldtheonerouspositionofF。C。,FirstCentipede。Eachoftheelectworeacoppercent(someoccultassociationbeingestablishedbetweenacentapieceandacentipedessuspendedbyastringroundhisneck。Themedalswerewornnexttheskin,anditwaswhilebathingonedayatGravePoint,withJackHarrisandFredLangdon,thatI

hadmycuriosityrousedtothehighestpitchbyasightofthesesingularemblems。AssoonasIascertainedtheexistenceofaboys’club,ofcourseIwasreadytodietojoinit。AndeventuallyIwasallowedtojoin。

TheinitiationceremonytookplaceinFredLangdon’sbarn,whereIwassubmittedtoaseriesoftrialsnotcalculatedtosoothethenervesofatimorousboy。BeforebeingledtotheGrottoofEnchantment—suchwasthemodesttitlegiventotheloftovermyfriend’swood—house—myhandsweresecurelypinioned,andmyeyescoveredwithathicksilkhandkerchief。AttheheadofthestairsIwastoldinanunrecognizable,huskyvoice,thatitwasnotyettoolatetoretreatifIfeltmyselfphysicallytooweaktoundergothenecessarytortures。IrepliedthatIwasnottooweak,inatonewhichIintendedtoberesolute,butwhich,inspiteofme,seemedtocomefromthepitofmystomach。

"Itiswell!"saidthehuskyvoice。

Ididnotfeelsosureaboutthat;but,havingmadeupmymindtobeaCentipede,aCentipedeIwasboundtobe。Otherboyshadpassedthroughtheordealandlived,whyshouldnotI?

AprolongedsilencefollowedthispreliminaryexaminationandIwaswonderingwhatwouldcomenext,whenapistolfiredoffclosebymycardeafenedmeforamoment。Theunknownvoicethendirectedmetotaketenstepsforwardandstopatthewordhalt。Itooktensteps,andhalted。

"Strickenmortal,"saidasecondhuskyvoice,morehusky,ifpossible,thanthefirst,"ifyouhadadvancedanotherinch,youwouldhavedisappeareddownanabyssthreethousandfeetdeep!"

Inaturallyshrunkbackatthisfriendlypieceofinformation。Aprickfromsometwo—prongedinstrument,evidentlyapitchfork,gentlycheckedmyretreat。Iwasthenconductedtothebrinkofseveralotherprecipices,andorderedtostepovermanydangerouschasms,wheretheresultwouldhavebeeninstantdeathifIhadcommittedtheleastmistake。Ihaveneglectedtosaythatmymovementswereaccompaniedbydismalgroansfromdifferentpartsofthegrotto。

Finally,Iwasledupasteepplanktowhatappearedtomeanincalculableheight。HereIstoodbreathlesswhilethebylawswerereadaloud。Amoreextraordinarycodeoflawsnevercamefromthebrainofman。Thepenaltiesattachedtotheabjectbeingwhoshouldrevealanyofthesecretsofthesocietywereenoughtomakethebloodruncold。Asecondpistol—shotwasheard,thesomethingIstoodonsunkwithacrashbeneathmyfeetandI

felltwomiles,asnearlyasIcouldcomputeit。Atthesameinstantthehandkerchiefwaswhiskedfrommyeyes,andIfoundmyselfstandinginanemptyhogsheadsurroundedbytwelvemaskedfiguresfantasticallydressed。

Oneoftheconspiratorswasreallyappallingwithatinsauce—panonhishead,andatiger—skinsleigh—robethrownoverhisshoulders。IscarcelyneedsaythattherewerenovestigestobeseenofthefearfulgulfsoverwhichIhadpassedsocautiously。Myascenthadbeentothetopofthehogshead,andmydescenttothebottomthereof。Holdingoneanotherbythehand,andchantingalowdirge,theMysticTwelverevolvedaboutme。Thisconcludedtheceremony。Withamerryshouttheboysthrewofftheirmasks,andIwasdeclaredaregularlyinstalledmemberoftheR。M。C。

Iafterwardshadagooddealofsportoutoftheclub,fortheseinitiations,asyoumayimagine,weresometimesverycomicalspectacles,especiallywhentheaspirantforcentipedalhonorshappenedtobeofatimiddisposition。Ifheshowedtheslightestterror,hewascertaintobetrickedunmercifully。Oneofoursubsequentdevices—ahumbleinventionofmyown—wastorequesttheblindfoldedcandidatetoputouthistongue,whereupontheFirstCentipedewouldsay,inalowtone,asifnotintendedfortheearofthevictim,"Diabolus,fetchmethered—hotiron!"Theexpeditionwithwhichthattonguewoulddisappearwassimplyridiculous。

Ourmeetingswereheldinvariousbarns,atnostatedperiods,butascircumstancessuggested。Anymemberhadarighttocallameeting。Eachboywhofailedtoreporthimselfwasfinedonecent。Wheneveramemberhadreasonsforthinkingthatanothermemberwouldbeunabletoattend,hecalledameeting。Forinstance,immediatelyonlearningthedeathofHarryBlake’sgreat—grandfather,Iissuedacall。Bythesesimpleandingeniousmeasureswekeptourtreasuryinaflourishingcondition,sometimeshavingonhandasmuchasadollarandaquarter。

Ihavesaidthatthesocietyhadnospecialobject。Itistrue,therewasatacitunderstandingamongusthattheCentipedesweretostandbyoneanotheronalloccasions,thoughIdon’trememberthattheydid;butfurtherthanthiswehadnopurpose,unlessitwastoaccomplishasabodythesameamountofmischiefwhichweweresuretodoasindividuals。Tomystifythestaidandslow—goingRivermouthianswasourfrequentpleasure。

Severalofourprankswonussuchareputationamongthetownsfolk,thatwewerecreditedwithhavingalargefingerinwhateverwentamissintheplace。

Onemorning,aboutaweekaftermyadmissionintothesecretorder,thequietcitizensawoketofindthatthesignboardsofalltheprincipalstreetshadchangedplacesduringthenight。PeoplewhowenttrustfullytosleepinCurrantSquareopenedtheireyesinHoneysuckleTerrace。Jones’sAvenueatthenorthendhadsuddenlybecomeWalnutStreet,andPeanutStreetwasnowheretobefound。Confusionreigned。Thetownauthoritiestookthematterinhandwithoutdelay,andsixoftheTempleGrammarSchoolboysweresummonedtoappearbeforejusticeClapbam。

Havingtearfullydisclaimedtomygrandfatherallknowledgeofthetransaction,Idisappearedfromthefamilycircle,andwasnotapprehendeduntillateintheafternoon,whentheCaptaindraggedmeignominiouslyfromthehaymowandconductedme,moredeadthanalive,totheofficeofjusticeClapham。HereIencounteredfiveotherpallidculprits,whohadbeenfishedoutofdiverscoal—bins,garrets,andchicken—coops,toanswerthedemandsoftheoutragedlaws。(CharleyMardenhadhiddenhimselfinapileofgravelbehindhisfather’shouse,andlookedlikearecentlyexhumedmummy。)

Therewasnottheleastevidenceagainstus;and,indeed,wewerewhollyinnocentoftheoffence。Thetrick,aswasafterwardsproved,hadbeenplayedbyapartyofsoldiersstationedatthefortintheharbor。WewereindebtedforourarresttoMasterConway,whohadslylydroppedahint,withinthehearingofSelectmanMudge,totheeffectthat"youngBaileyandhisfivecroniescouldtellsomethingabout20themsigns。"Whenhewascalledupontomakegoodhisassertion,hewasconsiderablymoreterrifiedthantheCentipedes,thoughtheywerereadytosinkintotheirshoes。

AtournextmeetingitwasunanimouslyresolvedthatConway’sanimosityshouldnotbequietlysubmittedto。Hehadsoughttoinformagainstusinthestagecoachbusiness;hehadvolunteeredtocarryPettingil’s"littlebill"fortwenty—fouricecreamstoCharleyMarden’sfather;andnowhehadcausedustobearraignedbeforejusticeClaphamonachargeequallygroundlessandpainful。Aftermuchnoisydiscussion,aplanofretaliationwasagreedupon。

Therewasacertainslim,mildapothecaryinthetown,bythenameofMeeks。

ItwasgenerallygivenoutthatMr。Meekshadavaguedesiretogetmarried,but,beingashyandtimorousyouth,lackedthemoralcouragetodoso。ItwasalsowellknownthattheWidowConwayhadnotburiedherheartwiththelatelamented。Astohershyness,thatwasnotsoclear。

Indeed,herattentionstoMr。Meeks,whosemothershemighthavebeen,wereofanaturenottobemisunderstood,andwerenotmisunderstoodbyanyonebutMr。Meekshimself。

Thewidowcarriedonadress—makingestablishmentatherresidenceonthecomeroppositeMeeks’sdrug—store,andkeptawaryeyeonalltheyoungladiesfromMissDorothyGibbs’sFemaleInstitutewhopatronizedtheshopforsoda—water,aciddrops,andslate—pencils。Intheafternoonthewidowwasusuallyseenseated,smartlydressed,atherwindowupstairs,castingdestructiveglancesacrossthestreet—theartificialrosesinhercapandherwholelanguishingmannersayingasplainlyasalabelonaprescription,"TobeTakenImmediately!"ButMr。Meeksdidn’ttake。

Thelady’sfondness,andthegentleman’sblindness,weretopicsablyhandledateverysewing—circleinthetown。Itwasthroughthesetwolucklessindividualsthatweproposedtostrikeablowatthecommonenemy。Tokilllessthanthreebirdswithonestonedidnotsuitoursanguinarypurpose。

WedislikedthewidownotsomuchforhersentimentalityasforbeingthemotherofBillConway;wedislikedMr。Meeks,notbecausehewasinsipid,likehisownsyrups,butbecausethewidowlovedhim。BillConwaywehatedforhimself。

LateonedarkSaturdaynightinSeptemberwecarriedourplanintoeffect。

Onthefollowingmorning,astheorderlycitizenswendedtheirwaytochurchpastthewidow’sabode,theirsoberfacesrelaxedatbeholdingoverherfrontdoorthewellknowngiltMortarandPestlewhichusuallystoodonthetopofapoleontheoppositecorner;whilethepassersonthatsideofthestreetwereequallyamusedandscandalizedatseeingaplacardbearingthefollowingannouncementtackedtothedruggist’swindow—shutters:

Wanted,aSempstress!

Thenaughtyclevernessofthejoke(whichIshouldbesorrytodefend)wasrecognizedatonce。Itspreadlikewildfireoverthetown,and,thoughthemortarandtheplacardwerespeedilyremoved,ourtriumphwascomplete。Thewholecommunitywasonthebroadgrin,andourparticipationintheaffairseeminglyunsuspected。

Itwasthosewickedsoldiersatthefort!

ChapterTenIFightConwayTherewasoneperson,however,whocherishedastrongsuspicionthattheCentipedeshadhadahandinthebusiness;andthatpersonwasConway。Hisredhairseemedtochangetoalivelierred,andhissallowcheekstoadeepersallow,asweglancedathimstealthilyoverthetopsofourslatesthenextdayinschool。Heknewwewerewatchinghim,andmadesundrymouthsandscowledinthemostthreateningwayoverhissums。

Conwayhadanaccomplishmentpeculiarlyhisown—thatofthrowinghisthumbsoutofjointatwill。Sometimeswhileabsorbedinstudy,oronbecomingnervousatrecitation,heperformedthefeatunconsciously。Throughoutthisentiremorninghisthumbswereobservedtobeinachronicstateofdislocation,indicatinggreatmentalagitationonthepartoftheowner。Wefullyexpectedanoutbreakfromhimatrecess;buttheintermissionpassedofftranquilly,somewhattoourdisappointment。

AtthecloseoftheafternoonsessionithappenedthatBinnyWallaceandmyself,havinggotswampedinourLatinexercise,weredetainedinschoolforthepurposeofrefreshingourmemorieswithapageofMr。Andrews’sperplexingirregularverbs。BinnyWallacefinishinghistaskfirst,wasdismissed。Ifollowedshortlyafter,and,onsteppingintotheplayground,sawmylittlefriendplastered,asitwere,upagainstthefence,andConwaystandinginfrontofhimreadytodeliverablowontheupturned,unprotectedface,whosegentlenesswouldhavestayedanyarmbutacoward’s。

SethRodgers,withbothhandsinhispockets,wasleaningagainstthepumplazilyenjoyingthesport;butonseeingmesweepacrosstheyard,whirlingmystrapofbooksintheairlikeasling,hecalledoutlustily,"Laylow,ConwaylHere’syoungBaileyl"

Conwayturnedjustintimetocatchonhisshouldertheblowintendedforhishead。Hereachedforwardoneofhislongarms—hehadarmslikeawindmill,thatboy—and,graspingmebythehair,toreoutquitearespectablehandful。Thetearsflewtomyeyes,buttheywerenotthetearsofdefeat;theyweremerelytheinvoluntarytributewhichnaturepaidtothedepartedtresses。

Inasecondmylittlejacketlayontheground,andIstoodonguard,restinglightlyonmyrightlegandkeepingmyeyefixedsteadilyonConway’s—inallofwhichIwasfaithfullyfollowingtheinstructionsofPhilAdams,whosefathersubscribedtoasportingjournal。

Conwayalsothrewhimselfintoadefensiveattitude,andtherewewere,glaringateachothermotionless,neitherofusdisposedtoriskanattack,butbothonthealerttoresistone。Thereisnotellinghowlongwemighthaveremainedinthatabsurdposition,hadwenotbeeninterrupted。

Itwasacustomwiththelargerpupilstoreturntotheplay—groundafterschool,andplaybaseballuntilsundown。Thetownauthoritieshadprohibitedball—playingontheSquare,and,therebeingnootheravailableplace,theboysfellbackperforceontheschool—yard。justatthiscrisisadozenorsooftheTemplarsenteredthegate,and,seeingataglancethebelligerentstatusofConwayandmyself,droppedbatandball,andrushedtothespotwherewestood。

"Isitafight?"askedPhilAdams,whosawbyourfreshnessthatwehadnotyetgottowork。

"Yes,it’safight,"Ianswered,"unlessConwaywillaskWallace’spardon,promisenevertohectormeinfuture—andputbackmyhair!"

Thislastconditionwasratherastaggerer。

"Isha’n’tdonothingofthesort,"saidConway,sulkily。

"Thenthethingmustgoon,"saidAdams,withdignity。"Rodgers,asI

understandit,isyoursecond,Conway?Bailey,comehere。What’stherowabout?"

"HewasthrashingBinnyWallace。"

"No,Iwasn’t,"interruptedConway;"butIwasgoingtobecauseheknowswhoputMeeks’smortaroverourdoor。AndIknowwellenoughwhodidit;itwasthatsneakinglittlemulatter!"pointingatme。

"O,byGeorge!"Icried,reddeningattheinsult。

"Coolistheword,"saidAdams,asheboundahandkerchiefroundmyhead,andcarefullytuckedawaythelongstragglinglocksthatofferedatemptingadvantagetotheenemy。"Whoeverheardofafellowwithsuchaheadofhairgoingintoaction!"mutteredPhil,twitchingthehandkerchieftoascertainifitweresecurelytied。Hethenloosenedmygallowses(braces),andbuckledthemtightlyabovemyhips。"Now,then,bantam,neversaydie!"

Conwayregardedthesebusiness—likepreparationswithevidentmisgiving,forhecalledRodgerstohisside,andhadhimselfarrayedinasimilarmanner,thoughhishairwascroppedsoclosethatyoucouldn’thavetakenholdofitwithapairoftweezers。

"Isyourmanready?"askedPhilAdams,addressingRodgers。

"Ready!"

"Keepyourbacktothegate,Tom,"whisperedPhilinmycar,"andyou’llhavethesuninhiseyes。"

Beholdusoncemorefacetoface,likeDavidandthePhilistine。Lookatusaslongasyoumay;forthisisallyoushallseeofthecombat。Accordingtomythinking,thehospitalteachesabetterlessonthanthebattle—field。

Iwilltellyouaboutmyblackeye,andmyswollenlip,ifyouwill;butnotawordofthefight。

You’llgetnodescriptionofitfromme,simplybecauseIthinkitwouldproveverypoorreading,andnotbecauseIconsidermyrevoltagainstConway’styrannyunjustifiable。

IhadborneConway’spersecutionsformanymonthswithlamb—likepatience。I

mighthaveshieldedmyselfbyappealingtoMr。Grimshaw;butnoboyintheTempleGrammarSchoolcoulddothatwithoutlosingcaste。Whetherthiswasjustornotdoesn’tmatterapin,sinceitwasso—atraditionarylawoftheplace。ThepersonalinconvenienceIsufferedfrommytormentorwasnothingtothepainheinflictedonmeindirectlybyhispersistentcrueltytolittleBinnyWallace。IshouldhavelackedthespiritofahenifIhadnotresenteditfinally。IamgladthatIfacedConway,andaskednofavors,andgotridofhimforever。IamgladthatPhilAdamstaughtmetobox,andIsaytoallyoungsters:Learntobox,toride,topullanoar,andtoswim。Theoccasionmaycomeround,whenadecentproficiencyinoneortherestoftheseaccomplishmentswillbeofservicetoyou。

Inoneofthebestbooks1everwrittenforboysarethesewords:

"Learntobox,then,asyoulearntoplaycricketandfootball。Notoneofyouwillbetheworse,butverymuchthebetter,forlearningtoboxwell。

Shouldyouneverhavetouseitinearnestthere’snoexerciseintheworldsogoodforthetemper,andforthemusclesofthebackandlegs。

"Asforfighting,keepoutofit,ifyoucan,byallmeans。Whenthetimecomes,ifeveritshould,thatyouhavetosay’Yes’or’No’toachallengetofight,say’No’ifyoucan—onlytakecareyoumakeitplaintoyourselfwhyyousay’No。’It’saproofofthehighestcourage,ifdonefromtrueChristianmotives。It’squiterightandjustifiable,ifdonefromasimpleaversiontophysicalpainanddanger。Butdon’tsay’No’becauseyoufearalickingandsayorthinkit’sbecauseyoufearGod,forthat’sneitherChristiannorhonest。Andifyoudofight,fightitout;anddon’tgiveinwhileyoucanstandandsee。"

Anddon’tgiveinwhenyoucan’t!say1。ForIcouldstandverylittle,andseenotatall(havingpommelledtheschoolpumpforthelasttwentyseconds),whenConwayretiredfromthefield。AsPhilAdamssteppeduptoshakehandswithme,hereceivedatellingblowinthestomach;forallthefightwasnotoutofmeyet,andImistookhimforanewadversary。

Convincedofmyerror,Iacceptedhiscongratulations,withthoseoftheotherboys,blandlyandblindly。IrememberthatBinnyWallacewantedtogivemehissilverpencil—case。Thegentlesoulhadstoodthroughoutthecontestwithhisfaceturnedtothefence,sufferinguntoldagony。

Agoodwashatthepump,andacoldkeyappliedtomyeye,refreshedmeamazingly。Escortedbytwoorthreeoftheschoolfellows,Iwalkedhomethroughthepleasantautumntwilight,batteredbuttriumphant。AsIwentalong,mycapcockedononesidetokeepthechillyairfrommyeye,IfeltthatIwasnotonlyfollowingmynose,butfollowingitsoclosely,thatI

wasinsomedangeroftreadingonit。Iseemedtohavenoseenoughforthewholeparty。Myleftcheek,also,waspuffedoutlikeadumpling。I

couldn’thelpsayingtomyself,"Ifthisisvictory,howaboutthatotherfellow?"

"Tom,"saidHarryBlake,hesitating。

"Well?"

"DidyouseeMr。Grimshawlookingoutoftherecitation—roomwindowjustaswelefttheyard?"

"Nowashe,though?"

"Iamsureofit。"

"Thenhemusthaveseenalltherow。"

"Shouldn’twonder。"

"No,hedidn’t,"brokeinAdams,"orhewouldhavestoppeditshortmetre;

butIguessbesawyoupitchingintothepumpwhichyoudiduncommonlystrong—andofcoursebesmeltmischiefdirectly。"

"Well,itcan’tbehelpednow,"Ireflected。

"—Asthemonkeysaidwhenhefelloutofthecocoanuttree,"addedCharleyMarden,tryingtomakemelaugh。

Itwasearlycandle—lightwhenwereachedthehouse。MissAbigail,openingthefrontdoor,startedbackatmyhilariousappearance。Itriedtosmileuponhersweetly,butthesmile,ripplingovermyswollencheek,anddyingawaylikeaspentwaveonmynose,producedanexpressionofwhichMissAbigaildeclaredshehadneverseenthelikeexceptingonthefaceofaChineseidol。

Shehustledmeunceremoniouslyintothepresenceofmygrandfatherinthesitting—room。CaptainNutter,astherecognizedprofessionalwarriorofourfamily,couldnotconsistentlytakemetotaskforfightingConway;norwashedisposedtodoso;fortheCaptainwaswellawareofthelong—continuedprovocationIhadendured。

"Ah,yourascal!"criedtheoldgentleman,afterhearingmystory。"JustlikemewhenIwasyoung—alwaysinonekindoftroubleoranother。I

believeitrunsinthefamily。"

"Ithink,"saidMissAbigail,withoutthefaintestexpression)onhercountenance,"thatatable—spoonfulofhot—dro—"TheCaptaininterruptedMissAbigailperemptorily,directinghertomakeashadeoutofcardboardandblacksilktotieovermyeye。MissAbigailmusthavebeenpossessedwiththeideathatIhadtakenuppugilismasaprofession,forsheturnedoutnofewerthansixoftheseblinders。

"They’llbehandytohaveinthehouse,"saysMissAbigail,grimly。

Ofcourse,sogreatabreachofdisciplinewasnottobepassedoverbyMr。

Grimshaw。Hehad,aswesuspected,witnessedtheclosingsceneofthefightfromtheschool—roomwindow,andthenextmorning,afterprayers,IwasnotwhollyunpreparedwhenMasterConwayandmyselfwerecalleduptothedeskforexamination。Conway,withapieceofcourt—plasterintheshapeofaMaltesecrossonhisrightcheek,andIwiththesilkpatchovermylefteye,causedageneraltitterthroughtheroom。

"Silence!"saidMr。Grimshaw,sharply。

AsthereaderisalreadyfamiliarwiththeleadingpointsinthecaseofBaileyversusConway,IshallnotreportthetrialfurtherthantosaythatAdams,Marden,andseveralotherpupilstestifiedtothefactthatConwayhadimposedonmeeversincemyfirstdayattheTempleSchool。TheirevidencealsowenttoshowthatConwaywasaquarrelsomecharactergenerally。BadforConway。SethRodgers,onthepartofhisfriend,provedthatIhadstruckthefirstblow。Thatwasbadforme。

"Ifyouplease,sir,"saidBinnyWallace,holdinguphishandforpermissiontospeak,"Baileydidn’tfightonhisownaccount;hefoughtonmyaccount,and,ifyouplease,sir,Iamtheboytobeblamed,forIwasthecauseofthetrouble。"

ThisdrewoutthestoryofConway’sharshtreatmentofthesmallerboys。AsBinnyrelatedthewrongsofhisplayfellows,sayingverylittleofhisowngrievances,InoticedthatMr。Grimshaw’shand,unknowntohimselfperhaps,restedlightlyfromtimetotimeonWallace’ssunnyhair。Theexaminationfinished,Mr。Grimshawleanedonthedeskthoughtfullyforamomentandthensaid:

"Everyboyinthisschoolknowsthatitisagainsttherulestofight。Ifoneboymaltreatsanother,withinschool—bounds,orwithinschool—hours,thatisamatterformetosettle。Thecaseshouldbelaidbeforeme。I

disapproveoftale—bearing,Ineverencourageitintheslightestdegree;

butwhenonepupilsystematicallypersecutesaschoolmate,itisthedutyofsomehead—boytoinformme。Nopupilhasarighttotakethelawintohisownhands。Ifthereisanyfightingtobedone,Iamthepersontobeconsulted。Idisapproveofboys’fighting;itisunnecessaryandunchristian。Inthepresentinstance,Iconsidereverylargeboyinthisschoolatfault,butastheoffenceisoneofomissionratherthancommission,mypunishmentmustrestonlyonthetwoboysconvictedofmisdemeanor。Conwayloseshisrecessforamonth,andBaileyhasapageaddedtohisLatinlessonsforthenextfourrecitations。InowrequestBaileyandConwaytoshakehandsinthepresenceoftheschool,andacknowledgetheirregretatwhathasoccurred。"

ConwayandIapproachedeachotherslowlyandcautiously,asifwewerebentuponanotherhostilecollision。Weclaspedhandsinthetamestmannerimaginable,andConwaymumbled,"I’msorryIfoughtwithyou。’

"Ithinkyouare,’Ireplied,drily,"andI’msorryIhadtothrashyou。"

"Youcangotoyourseats,"saidMr。Grimshaw,turninghisfaceasidetohideasmile。Iamsuremyapologywasaverygoodone。

IneverhadanymoretroublewithConway。Heandhisshadow,SethRodgers,gavemeawideberthformanymonths。NorwasBinnyWallacesubjectedtofurthermolestation。MissAbigail’ssanitarystores,includingabottleofopodeldoc,werenevercalledintorequisition。Thesixblacksilkpatches,withtheirelasticstrings,arestilldanglingfromabeaminthegarretoftheNutterHouse,waitingformetogetintofreshdifficulties。

1"TomBrown’sSchoolDaysatRugby"

ChapterElevenAllAboutGypsyThisrecordofmylifeatRivermouthwouldbestrangelyincompletedidInotdevoteanentirechaptertoGypsy。Ihadotherpets,ofcourse;forwhathealthyboycouldlongexistwithoutnumerousfriendsintheanimalkingdom?Ihadtwowhitemicethatwereforevergnawingtheirwayoutofapasteboardchateau,andcrawlingovermyfacewhenIlayasleep。Iusedtokeepthepink—eyedlittlebeggarsinmybedroom,greatlytotheannoyanceofMissAbigail,whowasconstantlyfancyingthatoneofthemicehadsecreteditselfsomewhereaboutherperson。

Ialsoownedadog,aterrier,whomanagedinsomeinscrutablewaytopickaquarrelwiththemoon,andonbrightnightskeptupsuchaki—yi—inginourbackgarden,thatwewerefinallyforcedtodisposeofhimatprivatesale。

HewaspurchasedbyMr。Oxford,thebutcher。Iprotestedagainstthearrangementandeverafterwards,whenwehadsausagesfromMr。Oxford—sshop,ImadebelieveIdetectedinthemcertainevidencesthatCatohadbeenfoullydealtwith。

OfbirdsIhadnoend—robins,purple—martins,wrens,bulfinches,bobolinks,ringdoves,andpigeons。AtonetimeItooksolidcomfortintheiniquitoussocietyofadissipatedoldparrot,whotalkedsoterribly,thattheRev。

WibirdHawkins,happeningtogetasampleofPoll’svituperativepowers,pronouncedhim"abenightedheathen,"andadvisedtheCaptaintogetridofhim。Abraceofturtlessupplantedtheparrotinmyaffections;theturtlesgavewaytorabbits;andtherabbitsinturnyieldedtothesuperiorcharmsofasmallmonkey,whichtheCaptainboughtofasailorlatelyfromthecoastofAfrica。

ButGypsywastheprimefavorite,inspiteofmanyrivals。Inevergrewwearyofher。Shewasthemostknowinglittlethingintheworld。Herpropersphereinlife—andtheonetowhichsheultimatelyattained—wasthesaw—dustarenaofatravellingcircus。TherewasnothingshortofthethreeR’s,reading,’riting,and’rithmetic,thatGypsycouldn’tbetaught。Thegiftofspeechwasnothers,butthefacultyofthoughtwas。

Mylittlefriend,tobesure,wasnotexemptfromcertaingracefulweaknesses,inseparable,perhaps,fromthefemalecharacter。Shewasverypretty,andsheknewit。Shewasalsopassionatelyfondofdress—bywhichI

meanherbestharness。Whenshehadthison,hercurvetingsandprancingswerelaughable,thoughinordinarytackleshewentalongdemurelyenough。

Therewassomethingintheenamelledleatherandthesilver—washedmountingsthatchimedwithherartisticsense。Tohavehermanebraided,andaroseorapansystuckintoherforelock,wastomakehertooconceitedforanything。

Shehadanothertraitnotrareamonghersex。Shelikedtheattentionsofyounggentlemen,whilethesocietyofgirlsboredher。Shewoulddragthem,sulkily,inthecart;butasforpermittingoneoftheminthesaddle,theideawaspreposterous。OncewhenPepperWhitcomb’ssister,inspiteofourremonstrances,venturedtomounther,Gypsygavealittleindignantneigh,andtossedthegentleEmmaheelsoverheadinnotime。Butwithanyoftheboysthemarewasasdocileasalamb。

Hertreatmentoftheseveralmembersofthefamilywascomical。FortheCaptainsheentertainedawholesomerespect,andwasalwaysonhergoodbehaviorwhenhewasaround。AstoMissAbigail,Gypsysimplylaughedather—literallylaughed,contractingherupperlipanddisplayingallhersnow—whiteteeth,asifsomethingaboutMissAbigailstruckher,Gypsy,asbeingextremelyridiculous。

KittyCollins,forsomereasonoranother,wasafraidofthepony,orpretendedtobe。Thesagaciouslittleanimalknewit,ofcourse,andfrequently,whenKittywasbangingoutclothesnearthestable,themarebeinglooseintheyard,wouldmakeshortplungesather。OnceGypsyseizedthebasketofclothespinswithherteeth,andrisingonherhindlegs,pawingtheairwithherforefeetfollowedKittyclearuptothescullerysteps。

Thatpartoftheyardwasshutofffromtherestbyagate;butnogatewasproofagainstGypsy’singenuity。Shecouldletdownbars,liftuplatches,drawbolts,andturnallsortsofbuttons。ThisaccomplishmentrenderedithazardousforMissAbigailorKittytoleaveanyeatablesonthekitchentablenearthewindow。OnoneoccasionGypsyputinherheadandlappedupsixcustardpiesthathadbeenplacedbythecasementtocool。

Anaccountofmyyounglady’svariousprankswouldfillathickvolume。A

favoritetrickofhers,onbeingrequestedto"walklikeMissAbigail,"wastoassumealittleskittishgaitsotruetonaturethatMissAbigailherselfwasobligedtoadmittheclevernessoftheimitation。

TheideaofputtingGypsythroughasystematiccourseofinstructionwassuggestedtomebyavisittothecircuswhichgaveanannualperformanceinRivermouth。ThisshowembracedamongitsattractionsanumberoftrainedShetlandponies,andIdeterminedthatGypsyshouldlikewisehavethebenefitofaliberaleducation。Isucceededinteachinghertowaltz,tofireapistolbytuggingatastringtiedtothetrigger,toliedowndead,towinkoneeye,andtoexecutemanyotherfeatsofadifficultnature。Shetooktoherstudiesadmirably,andenjoyedthewholethingasmuchasanyone。

ThemonkeywasaperpetualmarveltoGypsy。Theybecamebosom—friendsinanincrediblybriefperiod,andwerenevereasyoutofeachother’ssight。

PrinceZany—that’swhatPepperWhitcombandIchristenedhimoneday,muchtothedisgustofthemonkey,whobitapieceoutofPepper’snose—residedinthestable,andwenttoroosteverynightonthepony’sback,whereI

usuallyfoundhiminthemorning。WheneverIrodeout,IwasobligedtosecurehisHighnessthePrincewithastoutcordtothefence,hechatteringallthetimelikeamadman。

OneafternoonasIwascanteringthroughthecrowdedpartofthetown,I

noticedthatthepeopleinthestreetstopped,staredatme,andfelltolaughing。Iturnedroundinthesaddle,andtherewasZany,withagreatburdockleafinhispaw,perchedupbehindmeonthecrupper,assolemnasajudge。

Afterafewmonths,poorZanysickenedmysteriously,anddied。Thedarkthoughtoccurredtomethen,andcomesbacktomenowwithredoubledforce,thatMissAbigailmusthavegivenhimsomehot—drops。Zanyleftalargecircleofsorrowingfriends,ifnotrelatives。Gypsy,Ithink,neverentirelyrecoveredfromtheshockoccasionedbyhisearlydemise。Shebecamefonderofme,though;andoneofhercunningestdemonstrationswastoescapefromthestable—yard,andtrotuptothedooroftheTempleGrammarSchool,whereIwoulddiscoverheratrecesspatientlywaitingforme,withherforefeetonthesecondstep,andwispsofstrawstandingoutalloverher,likequillsuponthefretfulporcupine。

IshouldfailifItriedtotellyouhowdeartheponywastome。Evenhard,unlovingmenbecomeattachedtothehorsestheytakecareof;soI,whowasneitherunlovingnorhard,grewtoloveeveryglossyhairoftheprettylittlecreaturethatdependedonmeforhersoftstrawbedandherdailymodicumofoats。InmyprayeratnightIneverforgottomentionGypsywiththerestofthefamily—generallysettingforthherclaimsfirst。

WhateverrelatestoGypsybelongsproperlytothisnarrative;thereforeI

offernoapologyforrescuingfromoblivion,andboldlyprintinghereashortcompositionwhichIwroteintheearlypartofmyfirstquarterattheTempleGrammarSchool。Itismymaideneffortinadifficultart,andis,perhaps,lackinginthosegracesofthoughtandstylewhicharereachedonlyaftertheseverestpractice。

EveryWednesdaymorning,onenteringschool,eachpupilwasexpectedtolayhisexerciseonMr。Grimshaw’sdesk;thesubjectwasusuallyselectedbyMr。Grimshawhimself,theMondayprevious。Withahumorcharacteristicofhim,ourteacherhadinstitutedtwoprizes,oneforthebestandtheotherfortheworstcompositionofthemonth。Thefirstprizeconsistedofapenknife,orapencil—case,orsomesucharticledeartotheheartofyouth;thesecondprizeentitledthewinnertowearforanhourortwoasortofconicalpapercap,onthefrontofwhichwaswritten,intallletters,thismodestadmission:IAMADUNCE!ThecompetitorwhotookprizeNo。2。wasn’tgenerallyanobjectofenvy。

MypulsebeathighwithprideandexpectationthatWednesdaymorning,asI

laidmyessay,neatlyfolded,onthemaster’stable。IfirmlydeclinetosaywhichprizeIwon;buthere’sthecompositiontospeakforitself。

Itisnosmall—authorvanitythatinducesmetopublishthisstrayleafofnaturalhistory。Ilayitbeforeouryoungfolks,notfortheiradmiration,butfortheircriticism。Leteachreadertakehislead—pencilandremorselesslycorrecttheorthography,thecapitalization,andthepunctuationoftheessay。Ishallnotfeelhurtatseeingmytreatisecutalltopieces;thoughIthinkhighlyoftheproduction,notonaccountofitsliteraryexcellence,whichIcandidlyadmitisnotoverpowering,butbecauseitwaswrittenyearsandyearsagoaboutGypsy,byalittlefellowwho,whenIstrivetorecallhim,appearstomelikeareducedghostofmypresentself。

Iamconfidentthatanyreaderwhohaseverhadpets,birdsoranimals,willforgivemeforthisbriefdigression。

ChapterTwelveWinteratRivermouth"Iguesswe’regoingtohavearegularold—fashionedsnowstorm,"saidCaptainNutter,onebleakDecembermorning,castingapeculiarlynauticalglanceskyward。

TheCaptainwasalwayshazardingpropheciesabouttheweather,whichsomehowneverturnedoutaccordingtohisprediction。Thevanesonthechurch—steeplesseemedtotakefiendishpleasureinhumiliatingthedearoldgentleman。Ifhesaiditwasgoingtobeaclearday,adensesea—fogwasprettycertaintosetinbeforenoon。Oncehecausedaprotracteddroughtbyassuringuseverymorning,forsixconsecutiveweeks,thatitwouldraininafewhours。But,sureenough,thatafternoonitbegansnowing。

NowIhadnotseenasnow—stormsinceIwaseighteenmonthsold,andofcourserememberednothingaboutit。AboyfamiliarfromhisinfancywiththerigorsofourNewEnglandwinterscanformnoideaoftheimpressionmadeonmebythisnaturalphenomenon。Mydelightandsurprisewereasboundlessasiftheheavygrayskyhadletdownashowerofpondliliesandwhiteroses,insteadofsnow—flakes。Ithappenedtobeahalf—holiday,soI

hadnothingtodobutwatchthefeatherycrystalswhirlinghitherandthitherthroughtheair。Istoodbythesitting—roomwindowgazingatthewonderuntiltwilightshutoutthenovelscene。

Wehadhadseveralslightflurriesofhailandsnowbefore,butthiswasaregularnor’easter。

Severalinchesofsnowhadalreadyfallen。Therose—bushesatthedoordroopedwiththeweightoftheirmagicalblossoms,andthetwopoststhatheldthegardengateweretransformedintostatelyTurks,withwhiteturbans,guardingtheentrancetotheNutterHouse。

Thestormincreasedatsundown,andcontinuedwithunabatedviolencethroughthenight。Thenextmorning,whenIjumpedoutofbed,thesunwasshiningbrightly,thecloudlessheavensworethetenderazureofJune,andthewholeearthlaymuffleduptotheeyes,asitwere,inathickmantleofmilk—whitedown。

Itwasaverydeepsnow。TheOldestInhabitant(whatwouldbecomeofaNewEnglandtownorvillagewithoutitsoldestInhabitant?)overhauledhisalmanacs,andpronounceditthedeepestsnowwehadbadfortwentyyears。

Itcouldn’thavebeenmuchdeeperwithoutsmotheringusall。Ourstreetwasasighttobeseen,or,rather,itwasasightnottobeseen;forverylittlestreetwasvisible。Onehugedriftcompletelybankedupourfrontdoorandhalfcoveredmybedroomwindow。

Therewasnoschoolthatday,forallthethoroughfareswereimpassable。Bytwelveo’clock,however,thegreatsnowploughs,eachdrawnbyfouryokesofoxen,brokeawagon—paththroughtheprincipalstreets;butthefoot—passengershadahardtimeofitflounderinginthearcticdrifts。

TheCaptainandIcutatunnel,threefeetwideandsixfeethigh,fromourfrontdoortothesidewalkopposite。Itwasabeautifulcavern,withitswallsandroofinlaidwithmother—of—pearlanddiamonds。IamsuretheicepalaceoftheRussianEmpress,inCowper’spoem,wasnotamoresuperbpieceofarchitecture。

ThethermometerbeganfallingshortlybeforesunsetandwehadthebitterestcoldnightIeverexperienced。ThisbroughtouttheOldestInhabitantagainthenextday—andwhatagayoldboyhewasfordecidingeverything!Ourtunnelwasturnedintosolidice。Acrustthickenoughtobearmenandhorseshadformedoverthesnoweverywhere,andtheairwasalivewithmerrysleigh—bells。Icystalactites,ayardlong,bungfromtheeavesofthehouse,andtheTurkishsentinelsatthegatelookedasiftheyhadgivenupallhopesofeverbeingrelievedfromduty。

Sothewintersetincoldandglittering。Everythingout—of—doorswassheathedinsilvermail。ToquotefromCharleyMarden,itwas"coldenoughtofreezethetailoffabrassmonkey,"—anobservationwhichseemedtomeextremelyhappy,thoughIknewlittleornothingconcerningtheenduranceofbrassmonkeys,havingneverseenone。

Ihadlookedforwardtotheadventoftheseasonwithgraveapprehensions,nervingmyselftomeetdrearynightsandmonotonousdays;butsummeritselfwasnotmorejollythanwinteratRivermouth。Snow—ballingatschool,skatingontheMillPond,coastingbymoonlight,longridesbehindGypsyinabrand—newlittlesleighbuiltexpresslyforher,weresportsnolessexhilaratingthanthosewhichbelongedtothesunnymonths。AndthenThanksgiving!ThenoseofMemory—whyshouldn’tMemoryhaveanose?—dilateswithpleasureovertherichperfumeofMissAbigail’sfortymince—pies,eachonemoredelightfulthantheother,liketheSultan’sfortywives。

Christmaswasanotherred—letterday,thoughitwasnotsogenerallyobservedinNewEnglandasitisnow。

Thegreatwood—fireinthetiledchimney—placemadeoursitting—roomverycheerfulofwinternights。Whenthenorth—windhowledabouttheeaves,andthesharpfingersofthesleettappedagainstthewindow—panes,itwasnicetobesowarmlyshelteredfromthestorm。Adishofapplesandapitcherofchillyciderwerealwaysservedduringtheevening。TheCaptainhadafunnywayofleaningbackinthechair,andeatinghisapplewithhiseyesclosed。SometimesIplayeddominoswithhim,andsometimesMissAbigailreadaloudtous,pronouncing"to"toe,andsoundingalltheeds。

InaformerchapterIalludedtoMissAbigail’smanagingpropensities。ShehadaffectedmanychangesintheNutterHousebeforeIcametheretolive;

buttherewasonethingagainstwhichshebadlongcontendedwithoutbeingabletoovercome。ThiswastheCaptain’spipe。Onfirsttakingcommandofthehousehold,sheprohibitedsmokinginthesitting—room,whereithadbeentheoldgentleman’scustomtotakeawhiffortwoofthefragrantweedaftermeals。Theedictwentforth—andsodidthepipe。Anexcellentmove,nodoubt;butthenthehousewashis,andifhesawfittokeepatuboftobaccoburninginthemiddleoftheparlorfloor,hehadaperfectrighttodoso。However,behumoredherinthisasinothermatters,andsmokedbystealth,likeaguiltycreature,inthebarn,oraboutthegardens。Thatwaspracticableinsummer,butinwintertheCaptainwashardputtoit。

Whenhecouldn’tstanditlonger,heretreatedtohisbedroomandbarricadedthedoor。SuchwasthepositionofaffairsatthetimeofwhichIwrite。

Onemorning,afewdaysafterthegreatsnow,asMissAbigailwasdustingthechronometerintheball,shebeheldCaptainNutterslowlydescendingthestaircase,withalongclaypipeinhismouth。MissAbigailcouldhardlycreditherowneyes。

"Dan’el!"shegasped,retiringheavilyonthehat—rack。

ThetoneofreproachwithwhichthiswordwasutteredfailedtoproducetheslightesteffectontheCaptain,whomerelyremovedthepipefromhislipsforaninstant,andblewacloudintothechillyair。Thethermometerstoodattwodegreesbelowzeroinourhall。

"Dan’el!"criedMissAbigail,hysterically—"Dan’el,don’tcomenearme!"

Whereuponshefaintedaway;forthesmelloftobacco—smokealwaysmadeherdeadlysick。

KittyCollinsrushedfromthekitchenwithabasinofwater,andsettoworkbathingMissAbigail’stemplesandchafingherhands。Ithoughtmygrandfatherrathercruel,asbestoodtherewithahalf—smileonhiscountenance,complacentlywatchingMissAbigail’ssufferings。Whenshewas"broughtto,"theCaptainsatdownbesideher,and,withalovelytwinkleinhiseye,saidsoftly:

"Abigail,mydear,therewasn’tanytobaccointhatPipe!Itwasanewpipe。

IfetcheditdownforTomtoblowsoap—bubbleswith。"

AtthesewordsKittyCollinshurriedaway,herfeatures—workingstrangely。

SeveralminuteslaterIcameuponherinthescullerywiththegreaterportionofacrashtowelstuffedintohermouth。"MissAbygilsmelttheterbaccawithheroi!"criedKitty,partiallyremovingthecloth,andthenimmediatelystoppingherselfupagain。

TheCaptain’sjokefurnishedus—thatis,Kittyandme—withmirthformanyaday;astoMissAbigail,Ithinksheneverwhollypardonedhim。Afterthis,CaptainNuttergraduallygaveupsmoking,whichisanuntidy,injurious,disgraceful,andhighlypleasanthabit。

Aboy’slifeinasecludedNewEnglandtowninwinterdoesnotaffordmanypointsforillustration。Ofcoursehegetshisearsortoesfrost—bitten;

ofcoursehesmasheshissledagainstanotherboy’s;ofcoursebebangshisbeadontheice;andhe’saladofnoenterprisewhatever,ifbedoesn’tmanagetoskateintoaneel—hole,andbebroughthomehalfdrowned。Allthesethingshappenedtome;but,astheylacknovelty,Ipassthemover,totellyouaboutthefamoussnow—fortwhichwebuiltonSlatter’sHill。

ChapterThirteenTheSnowFortonSlatter’sHillThememoryofman,eventhatoftheOldestInhabitant,runnethnotbacktothetimewhentheredidnotexistafeudbetweentheNorthEndandtheSouthEndboysofRivermouth。

Theoriginofthefeudisinvolvedinmystery;itisimpossibletosaywhichpartywasthefirstaggressorinthefar—offanterevolutionaryages;butthefactremainsthattheyoungstersofthoseantipodalsectionsentertainedamortalhatredforeachother,andthatthishatredhadbeenhandeddownfromgenerationtogeneration,likeMilesStandish’spunch—bowl。

Iknownotwhatlaws,naturalorunnatural,regulatedthewarmthofthequarrel;butatsomeseasonsitragedmoreviolentlythanatothers。Thiswinterbothpartieswereunusuallylivelyandantagonistic。GreatwasthewrathoftheSouth—Enders,whentheydiscoveredthattheNorth—EndersbadthrownupafortonthecrownofSlatter’sHill。

Slatter’sHill,orNo—man’s—land,asitwasgenerallycalled,wasariseofgroundcovering,perhaps,anacreandaquarter,situatedonanimaginaryline,markingtheboundarybetweenthetwodistricts。Animmensestratumofgranite,whichhereandtherethrustoutawrinkledboulder,preventedthesitefrombeingusedforbuildingpurposes。Thestreetranoneithersideofthehill,fromonepartofwhichaquantityofrockhadbeenremovedtoformtheunderpinningofthenewjail。Thisexcavationmadetheapproachfromthatpointallbutimpossible,especiallywhentheraggedledgeswerea—glitterwithice。Youseewhataspotitwasforasnow—fort。

OneeveningtwentyorthirtyoftheNorth—EndersquietlytookpossessionofSlatter’sHill,andthrewupastronglineofbreastworks,somethingafterthisshape:

FtSlattergraphicTherearoftheentrenchment,beingprotectedbythequarry,wasleftopen。

Thewallswerefourfeethigh,andtwenty—twoinchesthick,strengthenedattheanglesbystakesdrivenfirmlyintotheground。

FancytherageoftheSouth—Endersthenextday,whentheyspiedoursnowycitadel,withJackHarris’sredsilkpockethandkerchieffloatingdefiantlyfromtheflag—staff。

Inlessthananhouritwasknownallovertown,inmilitarycirclesatleast,thatthe"Puddle—dockers"andthe"River—rats’(thesewerethederisivesub—titlesbestowedonourSouth—Endfoes)intendedtoattackthefortthatSaturdayafternoon。

Attwoo’clockallthefightingboysoftheTempleGrammarSchool,andasmanyrecruitsaswecouldmuster,laybehindthewallsofFortSlatter,withthreehundredcompactsnowballspiledupinpyramids,awaitingtheapproachoftheenemy。Theenemywasnotslowinmakinghisapproach—fiftystrong,headedbyoneMatAmes。OurforceswereunderthecommandofGeneralJ。Harris。

Beforetheactioncommenced,ameetingwasarrangedbetweentherivalcommanders,whodrewupandsignedcertainrulesandregulationsrespectingtheconductofthebattle。AsitwasimpossiblefortheNorth—Enderstooccupythefortpermanently,itwasstipulatedthattheSouth—EndersshouldassaultitonlyonWednesdayandSaturdayafternoonsbetweenthehoursoftwoandsix。Forthemtotakepossessionoftheplaceatanyothertimewasnottoconstituteacapture,butonthecontrarywastobeconsideredadishonorableandcowardlyact。

TheNorth—Enders,ontheotherhand,agreedtogiveupthefortwhenevertenofthestormingpartysucceededinobtainingatonetimeafootingontheparapet,andwereabletoholdthesameforthespaceoftwominutes。Bothsidesweretoabstainfromputtingpebblesintotheirsnow—balls,norwasitpermissibletousefrozenammunition。Asnow—ballsoakedinwaterandleftouttocoolwasaprojectilewhichinpreviousyearshadbeenresortedtowithdisastrousresults。

Thesepreliminariessettled,thecommandersretiredtotheirrespectivecorps。Theinterviewhadtakenplaceonthehillsidebetweentheopposinglines。

GeneralHarrisdividedhismenintotwobodies;thefirstcomprisedthemostskilfulmarksmen,orgunners;thesecond,thereserveforce,wascomposedofthestrongestboys,whosedutyitwastorepelthescalingparties,andtomakeoccasionalsalliesforthepurposeofcapturingprisoners,whowereboundbythearticlesoftreatytofaithfullyserveunderourflaguntiltheywereexchangedatthecloseoftheday。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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